ajmm

This is the F-8E Crusader from the F-Toys US Navy Collection Volume 2. These are pre-painted Gashopon trading kits from Japan - apparently you can buy these in vending machines. Oh how I long to live in a country where I could pick up a kit in a vending machine! I stripped and repainted it completely. Well worth picking up if you want a few evenings worth of fun. More familiar in this scale is the Platz F-8, though that is an earlier mark. For a gashopon, this is among the nicest I have built in terms of fit and details. I'd quite forgotten how good it is. I think the only Gashopon kit that rivals it is the F-Toys Curtiss Helldiver. Truly must have been a labour of love for the creators - the attention to detail is brilliant for this scale (and a kit that sells for less than £6 over there) - even the interior of the engine burner can is nicely moulded. Yes the panel lines are heavier than the Platz kit but they are very modest indeed compared to many other styrene or resin kits being released in 144 these days. The only bits I added were to tart up the cockpit a bit with some seatbelts and a few details on the ejector seat like the yellow/black pull cord. I also stole some Zuni rockets and pylons from the Platz kit (incredibly fiddly to assemble I found) as the photos I could find of a VF-13 Crusader showed it with Zunis mounted. Paint was Hataka. I probably weathered it way too much for a mediterranean cruise but you do see photos of these quite dirty and I was having fun and trying some new techniques. I'm really quite pleased with the results, I have to say. My one regret is the oil panel wash on the white belly particularly is too harsh, but I don't really want to mess with it any more. Knowing when to stop is good - ask me how I know... The decals area also from the kit - though I stole the insignia from the Platz kit as well as a few spare stencils from the old Microscale sheet. The F-Toys decals worked remarkably well - they are often very hit and miss. Though on the thick side they settled into the surface detail very well with some setting solution and they are very well printed (none of the graininess of some F-Toys decals). The one thing I notice now is missing is the number 1 on the flaps/ailerons. I'll have to add that now - I always notice something when writing these things! The scheme I went for is for an aircraft from VF-13 Nightcappers which flew the F-8E from 1964-1966 on several cruises in the Mediterranean aboard USS Shangri-La. The paint scheme changed in 1966, so this dates this particular aircraft to mid-1965. I wanted a change from photographing things on aircraft carriers so this particular F-8 has put down on land. Probably never happened but indulge me. Heroes Models figures and cart, Brengun MD3. A lovely kit - looking forward to the new F-Toys Crusader release in November (which my conscience is now cleared to buy having finished all my previous release boxes!). Finally - with some of the other USN aircraft I've finished the past couple of months. There's a bigger brute in the works next... Thanks very much for looking, as always, if you made it this far. Angus

A beauty.

Wonderful work! Especially so given your trials with the kit. Bravo.

Ah that makes sense. I’ll wind my trunk in!

Brilliant - that’s very handsome. If you are struggling To live with the roundels, then these may help - https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DMK14417?result-token=JOtv0

This is truly stunning. I’ve read the entire WIP too with my eyes getting steadily larger and larger. I had been contemplating the Pontos set and am sold, though goodness knows I can’t hope to come close to your skills here.

Very nice. Sharp lines.

Ha! Fair enough. Don’t consider that a heckle! I know all about not finding the time for this hobby (he said, hoping the two toddlers upstairs lie down and go to sleep at SOME point this afternoon).

How’s she coming on? I’m mulling starting mine. What’s the fit like?

Very handsome. Nicely done Miguel!

A newish release - last 6 months Or so. I say new but I think it is literally the vac form fuselage halves cast in resin. But there is some subtle panel detail on there (which I recall you said was not on the Vacform fuselage). Same tailplanes though. Worth noting that the exhaust cans are pretty basic but Whirlybird Models has released a set of resin cast ones. I can’t vouch for their accuracy but they are an improvement in aesthetic terms.

Hullo. I’ve actually bought quite a bit from Anigrand over the years. Their website is frustratingly out of date but they are still manufacturing and producing new releases. Anigrand are HK based. They have issued two releases in the past six months after a pretty long break from things. Generally Hannants is quite slow to receive them but curiously do seem to know what is coming next. Two of the future releases hannants put up recently have since been released (their YRB-49 and Convair XP6Y), though I bought both from the US distributor (same price, even with postage and I lucked out on customs both times). Anigrand do a lot of casting for other manufacturers (Fantastic Plastic and A&W from Japan) so their release shedule is quite erratic. If you’ve not built Anigrand kits before they are surprisingly nice. They used to have a bad reputation for fit, accuracy and moulding quality. I think most of that is resolved now and certainly both fit and casting of recent releases has been outstanding. I don’t take callipers to my models (a slippery slope I fear!) but I have no complaints on accuracy. Each release comes with three smaller ‘bonus kits’ (ie 4 kits per box) which generally are loosely related to the big subject. Sometimes. If you’re not interested in these you can always sell them to saddos like me on eBay to defray the Admittedly rather high asking price per kit. Decals aren’t great however. SO, in sum. Anigrand will highly likely release the XC-99 (which I too am very excited for). Just don’t hold your breath - it could be over a year away. It will probably be worth the wait when it is released, in my view. Others may disagree if course! Hope that’s some help.

Oh I’ve been wondering how this builds up. I have several which I bought right before we too moved house... Im itching to have a crack at it.

Beautiful build of a beautiful aircraft. Love it.

Brilliant thread. I’m half way through the all resin Welsh kit (released for the benefit of vacform wusses like me). My first comet. Very very helpful information here. Top interneting, characters. Thank you.

Fantastic work. Will remember the tip on the u/c for when I build mine. Eventually.

Very nice! I’ve also got one on the shelf of shame. I think you’re too modest. That’s a very handsome Shackleton to my eye.

That’s a marvellous result. It is really quite a handsome and faithful seeming replica. Is that the straightforward kit canopy? It looks much thinner and more refined than any other 144 Amodel kit transparencies if so. I’m questioning why I stocked up on a few brengun vacforms...

Looks brilliant so far. That bomb-bay is outstanding. Just stumbled across this build. I've built lots of 144 Amodel kits and they usually demand some patience (to say the least!) but you're making this look a breeze! Very impressive. I haven't yet built any of the Amodel Lancs in the stash so will definitely be referring back to this thread when I do. Can't wait to see the painting finished.

Superb. That’s really beautifully done. I hope Academy’s B-52 is as well designed as you say this kit is when it is released.

Very nice! Love the weathering.

Lovely!

Thank you all for your very kind comments - they really are greatly appreciated.

Do you know I hadn’t actually clocked that? It’s funny what you miss, even when it’s staring you in the face. A really helpful observation thank you. I do have another five of these to build (or six - I forget!) so I will absolutely do that on my next - thanks! Haha - M&S. Where else? I find they tend to unionise less readily. Thank you!

Hello good people I just finished this for a 1940 group build on Kampfgruppe 144 and thought I would also post here as I haven't seen that many finished examples of this kit. There's a WIP thread here if anyone is interested. It is the Mark1 Models Gloster Sea Gladiator. I used the Marabu Design etch set which was brilliant. The Mark1 kit needs a bit of work to correct some obvious accuracy issues. I haven't completely managed to sort everything, but it's as good a shot as I could manage. I have to say, I slightly surprised myself with this build - not only was it less arduous than I'd imagined (I think Marabu do most to the work for you) but it was also quite enjoyable. A complete contrast to my previous Gladiator build which was - on the face of it - much simpler, being an out of the box build. I took a gamble doing the rigging with the top wing temporarily off which worked really quite nicely. I may try this approach more often with 144 biplanes. I will confess that I'm really rather happy with the outcome with this. Yes it is not a perfect Gladiator and there are some shape issues from the Mark1 kit that still could be addressed (the cowling is too bulbous and I think the forward fuselage is also a bit too shallow and too long, but I'd need to check against drawings). But overall I think it is pretty Gladiatorsome. And to finish, one of the smallest allied single engined fighters with the largest. Thanks very much for looking! Angus